Mental Health in the Academy: Recent Episodes
Carlos Perez
The university life can be tough. Students, faculty, staff, even administrators all struggle with the never-ending challenges of academia. Here, we talk about the day-to-day of working for, living in, and dealing with higher education. From anxiety to depression, burnout, toxic workplaces, imposter syndrome and more. We offer some mental health guidance to help you navigate the academy.
As we kick off another round of interviews, I'm with one of our own students for a conversation about the student experience in the university. Rachel Vaughn and I talk through different aspects of and influences on mental health in the student experience. We talk about pressures students face, the challenges and benefits of friends, leaving one's family to discover our own selves, and student burnout. We wrap up with some ideas and suggestions about how students can help their own mental health. Enjoy!
Summer is almost over? How did that happen? In this episode, I recap some of the main takeaways from the previous episodes that have helped my mental health over the past few month. I also take these highlights and use them to look forward into the next academic year. I hope this will set the stage for a mentally healthy academic year. I also introduce some upcoming conversations: mindfulness in the academy, micro aggressions, and mental health barriers. Enjoy what's left of your summer!
In this episode I sit down with my friend, James Henson, who is a certified Mindfulness and Meditation instructor. We dive into what Mindfulness is and how professors can benefit from it, including how to approach students with a Mindful approach to teaching. Maybe the most important part of our conversation was a key ingredient of Mindfulness: honesty. If we fully embrace it, honesty can have the power to shape, or reshape, our lives. We talk about what that means for those in the university life given the uncertain times of higher education. This was a good conversation. Enjoy!
The Academy has traditionally been a tough road for women. In this episode, Dr. Ali Duffy (my beautiful wife 😊) and I dive into the structures of the university system, how they are oppressive to women, and how this all directly affects mental health. We also talk through several strategies we can implement to help in the journey of the academy.
We specifically talk about how change requires everyone stepping up, especially men. If anyone holds any power in the university, it's their job to implement equality among everyone. Enjoy!
In this episode, I sit down (via Zoom) with my very good friend, Dr. Josh Novak, to keep the conversation going about imposter syndrome. We talk through the hoops academics jump through that can lead to imposter syndrome, we discuss how universities are systemically organized that lend themselves to such struggles, and we brainstorm about what administrators can do to help. Cheers!
We've talked about burnout before, but we also need to recognize its co-traveler: compassion fatigue. In this episode, Dr. Jeana Culbert and I talk about what compassion fatigue is, how organizations and the academy can be vulnerable to it, and how to recognize when we are compassion fatigued. We also talk about how we can combat the things that lead us to being compassion fatigued. Enjoy!
Work/life balance can be a challenge for mothers and fathers alike. In this episode, Dr. Dane Eggleston and I talk through some of our experiences and difficulties while being fathers in the academy. We talk about the pressures of being a father, how we navigate those pressures while working, and where we think a healthy balance lies between the two. Enjoy!
That dreaded imposter syndrome...it can have a real influence on our mental health and overall well being. Imposter syndrome often leads to a lack of confidence, anxiety, depression, and overall dissatisfaction with your job. If you struggle with feeling like an imposter, like you don't belong, or like someone is going to "find out" about you, this episode is for you. You will also find a few pointers on how to combat feeling like an imposter.
I don't know about you, but it's been quite the semester. If you've had a difficult couple of months, heck, even a difficult couple of years, this episode is for you. These are a few words of encouragement as we head into the Summer. Take care, everyone.
The state of higher education has been questioned over the last few years. This leads us to a lot of uncertainty, which of course has an impact on our mental health. Dr. Shawn Hughes and I dive into Uncertainty Reduction Theory and how it pertains to the flux of higher education, anxiety, and relationships. We cover how to approach uncertainty and how to start building trust and intimacy through these anxious times. Enjoy!
The Academy is tough and it's very common for faculty, students, and staff to fall into depression. Work environments, social stress, and the grind of every day university life can be a lot for anyone. In this episode, I talk about how to recognize depression in yourself and others, and how to cope with some of these experiences. This leads us to a challenge: taking care of ourselves and others.
These are trying times, and we are constantly being pulled in multiple directions. It's safe to say we're all experiencing burnout on some level. We have persevered in the academy over the past few years, and then some. Parents, professors, administrators, students; we're all in this. I talk with Dr. Amanda Ellis about burnout in different contexts and we go through a few definitions and how to utilize the life of a professor to combat burnout.
Hear this clearly: anxiety is NORMAL. Absolutely everyone experiences anxiety, and yes, even in the academy. Students, professors, we all get overwhelmed and become anxious. Listen into this episode for some thoughts and ideas about anxiety and how to live with it in the university setting.
Dr. Cathy Box, the director for the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship, started a series that provides mental health resources for faculty in the academy. If you're a university professor, staff, or a student, and if your university life is challenging at times, this podcast is for you. Tune in to hear conversations about anxiety, depression, burnout, toxic positivity and more.